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Conradh na Gaeilge warmly welcomes the appointment of Catherine Martin TD as Senior Minister with responsibility for Gaeltacht affairs

However, we are seeking confirmation that responsibility for the Gaeltacht will not be delegated to a junior minister, as done previously over the last 9 years

Conradh na Gaeilge has warmly welcomed Catherine Martin TD's appointment as Minister for Culture, Arts, Media, Tourism, Sport and the Gaeltacht on Saturday, 27 June. Minister Martin has shown an interest in and understanding of Gaeltacht and Irish language issues regularly  since she started in Dáil Éireann and the organisation is delighted that she will have the opportunity to address the challenges that face the Gaeltacht and the Irish language.

Niall Comer, President of Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “We are delighted with the appointment of Minister Catherine Martin as Senior Minister for Gaeltacht affairs. Catherine has previously spoken strongly in the Dáil about the challenges facing the Gaeltacht in particular and we hope that she will have the opportunity to address and overcome these challenges as she has previously stated. We congratulate her and look forward to working with her in the years ahead. ”

Julian de Spáinn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “The Irish-speaking and Gaeltacht community were very active during the general election, and we have been active ever since, calling for the appointment of a Senior Minister for the Gaeltacht fluent in Irish. This has now been achieved but confirmation is needed that the responsibility for the Gaeltacht will not be delegated to a Minister of State. This confirmation is vital to ensure fairness for the Irish language and Gaeltacht community in the coming years”.

Conradh na Gaeilge welcomed the commitment by the new Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, TD on Saturday that the Government will give the Irish language and the Gaeltacht a new significance and we congratulate him on his election as Taoiseach. The Program for Government includes a commitment for a whole of Government approach to the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht and Conradh na Gaeilge looks forward to playing our part in this vital work.

Conradh na Gaeilge recognises that the new Minister has a wide range of responsibilities and that while there will be a lot of work to be done to ensure fairness for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, we will also have opportunities to address issues relating to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in the media, in sport, in tourism and in other areas with the new Minister.

 

 

Conradh na Gaeilge

6 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.
Phone: +353 (0) 1 475 7401, Fax: +353 (0) 1 475 7844, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.